(7 Jul 1997) English/Nat

One of Mexico's most powerful drug lords, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, is reportedly dead after undergoing plastic surgery intended to help him hide from authorities.

Since January and February, Carrillo's organisation had been responsible for distributing tons of cocaine into the U-S, primarily through New York City.

Now, U-S leaders hope the drug lord's death will put his cartel out of business for good.

The U-S State Department expressed hope Monday that the apparent death of Mexican drug lord, Amado Carrillo Fuentes, will bring to an end the smuggling activities of his cartel.

State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns noted that Fuentes apparently died on July 4th as a result of cosmetic surgery.

But he refused to rule out the possibility of a ruse designed to protect him from prosecution and incarceration.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We are still awaiting final confirmation, official confirmation of his identity, the
identity of the corpse, from the Mexican government. And I really think it's prudent to let the Mexican government speak about this. After all, it is their country, and they are best placed to make this kind of assessment."
SUPER CAPTION: State Department Spokesman, Nicholas Burns

Fingerprints identified the corpse to be that of Carrillo Fuentes.

But the Mexican government is currently doing medical tests to come up with a more positive identification.

The U-S drug Enforcement Agency said Monday the reported death left Mexico's most successful drug cartel with a disruptive absence of leadership.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"If he is proven to be dead, then we hope very much that this will interrupt the activities forever of the cartel that he ran, and the perfidious nature of that cartel, which was to run drugs into the United States."
SUPER CAPTION: State Department Spokesman, Nicholas Burns

Commenting on Sunday's elections in Mexico, Burns said he does not believe the significant gains of parties opposed to the ruling P-R-I party will create instability in Mexico.

He added that there were no reasons that a democracy could not survive with cohabitation.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We have the closest relationship with Mexico. We want that to continue. We're confident that our excellent relationship with Mexico will continue."
SUPER CAPTION: State Department Spokesman, Nicholas Burns

Fuentes' family confirmed that the drug baron had died in Mexico City's small Santa Monica Hospital of a heart attack after undergoing plastic surgery and liposuction.

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